Got What It Takes?: Successful People Reveal How They Made It to the Top [Hardcover]

Bill Boggs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2007

Beyond talent, what factors have determined and defined the careers of well-known individuals? In this book, successful people of our day reveal what it took for them to be successful. Emmy winning interviewer Bill Boggs shares success secrets from leaders in their fields, ranging from major names in entertainment and the arts to sports, fashion, and the business world. They speak frankly about their career paths, crucial influences, how they dealt with adversity, bad luck, bad press, and back-stabbing and the choices they made that helped them to prevail in their careers and in life. Interviewees include Renee Zellweger, Daniel Boulud, Sir Richard Branson, Clive Davis, Bobby Flay, Jim Cramer, Preston Bailey, Brooke Shields, Peter Cincotti, Bobbi Brown, Joseph Abboud, Bob Pittman, Bill Bratton, Mark Burnett, Bill O'Reilly, Mario Cuomo, Frederic Fekkai, Joy Behar, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, Diane Von Furstenberg, Frank Rich, David Rockwell, Jeff Zucker, Anna Quindlen, Norman Lear, Craig Newmark, Tom Perkins, Joe Torre, among others.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Four-time Emmy winner Boggs hosts the New York talk show Midday Live with Bill Boggs for Metromedia and FOX, created and hosts Bill Boggs' Corner Table on the Food Network, and has been a game-show host, news anchor, and featured columnist for The Good Life magazine, the New York Times, and other publications. He has interviewed an impressive list of notable personalities during his 25-year career, including presidents, international leaders, athletes, writers, and movie stars. Setting out to define the factors that determine success in high-profile fields, he spoke to 44 individuals and got 44 versions of "what it takes" to reach the top. Interviewees such as Mario Cuomo, Diane Von Furstenberg, Renee Zellweger, Sir Richard Branson, Clive David, Jeff Zucker, Joe Torre, and others reveal sides of their personalities that are often unexpectedly different than their public facades. Includes numerous quotes and reflections on self-doubt, motivation, risk taking, and everyday practices. David Siegfried
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“Bill gets all these famous folk to open up. He’s got the interviewer’s gift.” (James Brady, forbes.com )

“Interviewees. . .reveal sides of their personalities that are often unexpectedly different than their public facades.” (Booklist )

“. . .filled with insights and bread and butter advice. . .guaranteed to inspire. (Derek Pell, Editor in Chief, DingBat Magazine )

“Wherever you are careerwise–from your first day of work to your last–this easy read of a pep talk speaks volumes.” (Christian Science Monitor )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (April 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061122920
• ISBN-13: 978-0061122927
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,390,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mindsets of the successful..., March 25, 2007

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Got What It Takes?: Successful People Reveal How They Made It to the Top (Hardcover)

I enjoy reading about how others have successfully navigated life and their careers. I was pleased to get the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Got What It Takes?: Successful People Reveal How They Made It to the Top by Bill Boggs. While you still have to filter their words and experiences through your own reality, it's a great read for those who are into personal improvement.

Contents:
Introduction - The Reasons for Success
One - The Path to Success: Find Your Path; Get Hired; Capitalize on Luck and Timing; Make Good Decisions
Two - The Mind-sets of Success: Seize Opportunity; Identify Your Drive, Mission, and Purpose; Cultivate Self-Confidence; Strengthen Your Will to Prevail; Defy Category
Three - The Practices of Success: Work Hard; Collect Wisdom; Don't Take Anything for Granted; Take the Risk; Develop Excellent Everyday Practices
Four - The Challenges of Success: Confront Fears, Insecurity, and Other Inner Demons; Learn to Cope with Stress; Allow for Regrets, Failures, and Mistakes; Overcome Adversity; Resist Ruinous Temptations; Keep Your Life in Balance
Five - Advice for Success: Know When to Reassess; Use What You've Got; Industry Advice from the Pros
Acknowledgements

Boggs got the opportunity to interview a large number of well-known and successful people in various industries. There were some names I didn't recognize, but a large number were household names... Maria Bartiromo, Sir Richard Branson, Jim Cramer, Mario Cuomo, Christie Hefner, Matt Lauer, and Norman Lear, to name just a few. The interviews appeared to be very conversational, and the personalities of the different people shine through very well. Boggs took a somewhat different approach than most books of this sort, however. Instead of taking the "person per chapter" route, he divides the book into success components, like working hard, confronting insecurity, and keeping your life in balance. Then for that particular subject matter, he'll pull in the pieces of the interviews that corresponded to that. Seeing how people like Cramer, Anna Quindlen, and Bill Bratton all deal with stress in one consolidated chapter helps you put it all together. Boggs also adds a few "calls to action" on many of the paragraphs, so you don't get to read it all and walk away with no clue as to what to do to put it into your own life.

There is the danger in a book like this to view the people as "perfect", individuals who are hyper-focused and who never make missteps. That's definitely not the case, and there are a few foibles in the different chapters. I think this book works best when you see the underlying principles of importance, paying a bit less attention to the person behind them. There's a wealth of wisdom and examples here, and it's an entertaining read. It's definitely worth reading to see where you need to notch up your performance...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read ---Really, May 8, 2007

By 

Richard Dubin - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Got What It Takes?: Successful People Reveal How They Made It to the Top (Hardcover)

Boggs has put together a treasure trove of tips for upping the quality of your play in work and life. It is imposible to take this book to heart and not benefit in extraordinary ways. I'm twisting the arms of all my terrific students (at one of the best communication schools in the world) to read and use this book. They'll thank me after sensation returns to their extremities.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perfect graduation present, May 30, 2007

By 

Fan of Bill's (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Got What It Takes?: Successful People Reveal How They Made It to the Top (Hardcover)

I bought this as a graduation present for some cousins of mine and they LOVED it-- it's really perfect for a high school or college grad, because there's so many different types of careers represented, and so many people that everyone's heard of, everyone can learn from. One cousin has no idea what she wants to major in-- I didn't want to buy her anything in any one field, but give her something that would stay useful to her in years to come.